Dr. Redetha Abrahams-Nichols, United University Professions – Downstate Medical Center Chapter
Dr. Redetha Abrahams-Nichols, president of UUP’s Downstate Chapter, has emerged as a formidable advocate for healthcare access in Central Brooklyn. With 27 years in healthcare — 22 at Downstate — she holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a master’s of public administration.
Rising from staff nurse to leadership roles, she transformed Downstate’s emergency department from a unit with two to three nurses to a robust team serving 70,000 patients annually. When SUNY announced plans to close Downstate in January 2024, Dr. Abrahams-Nichols mobilized immediate resistance, confronting the Chancellor directly and insisting,
“We want a hospital. We’ll have nothing less.” Her leadership philosophy — “We’re all in a circle. We’re holding hands. I’m just in a different place in the circle”— guided her innovative weekly “Walk-A-Mile” protests and her instrumental role in forming the Brooklyn For Downstate coalition. Dr. Abrahams-Nichols’ efforts helped secure continued funding for Downstate, protecting vital services including Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant program for a community where nearly 90 percent of patients rely on Medicaid or are uninsured. Her advocacy is deeply personal — 60 percent of Downstate employees live in the communities they serve.
She demonstrates her commitment to nursing education as an instructor, and champions healthcare professionals through her service on multiple healthcare committees.